Madrid to Cádiz distance
Madrid and Cádiz are 488 km (303 mi) apart in a straight line and 651 km (404 mi) apart by road: about 7 hr 10 min of driving without stops, mostly on the A-5 and the A-66. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the Mapsfera Team
- By road
- 651 km (404 mi)
- Driving time
- 7 hr 10 min
- Straight line
- 488 km (303 mi)
- Driving route
- Straight line
- Straight-line midpoint
- Halfway by road
Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the midpoint. Route: FOSSGIS OSRM with data © OpenStreetMap contributors, calculated on October 31, 2026; simplified line.
The figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Straight line | 488 km (303 mi) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 651 km (404 mi) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 7 hr 10 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +33% 1.33 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 91 km/h (57 mph) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 209° (southwest) leaving Madrid toward Cádiz |
| Midpoint | 38.4818° N, 5.0274° W near Villaralto (Córdoba) |
| Halfway by road | In San Pedro de Mérida (Badajoz) 325 km from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | Madrid: 645 m (2,116 ft) · Cádiz: 4 m (13 ft) IGN (Spain) |
| Population | Madrid: 3,506,730 · Cádiz: 109,950 INE population register, January 1, 2025 |
Madrid to Cádiz by road
The fastest driving route is 651 km (404 mi) long and takes about 7 hr 10 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on the A-5 (332 km), the A-66 (181 km), and the AP-4 (92.5 km).
It goes through 4 autonomous communities: the Community of Madrid (40.8 km), Castilla–La Mancha (134 km), Extremadura (282 km), and Andalusia (192 km). That’s an average of 91 km/h (57 mph). Spain’s traffic authority (DGT) recommends a break every two hours or 200 km: with 3 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 8 hr 10 min. The time is OSRM’s estimate with OpenStreetMap data: no traffic and speeds somewhat below the limits, so real trips can differ.
Straight-line distance and bearing
In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, Madrid and Cádiz are 488 km (303 mi) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 33% longer: for every 100 km in a straight line you drive 133. That’s a big detour: the fastest route strays quite far from the straight line. Of the 40 Spanish pairs in this series, it ranks 8th for detour (the average is 24%).
From Madrid, Cádiz lies to the southwest (bearing 209°), and from Cádiz, Madrid lies to the northeast.
Halfway between Madrid and Cádiz
Halfway along the straight line, 244 km (152 mi) from each city, is the point 38.4818° N, 5.0274° W. It falls near Villaralto (Córdoba, pop. 1,059), 4.7 km away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Córdoba (pop. 323,262), 69.8 km away.
By road, the halfway point is 325 km (202 mi) from each city, in San Pedro de Mérida (Badajoz, pop. 859). The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Mérida (Badajoz, pop. 60,225), 14.7 km away. The two midpoints are 113 km apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
By plane
No flight time is given: under 500 km (311 miles) in a straight line, time at the airport outweighs time in the air.
The two cities
Madrid sits at 645 m (2,116 ft) and Cádiz at 4 m (13 ft), 641 m (2,103 ft) lower.
Madrid has 3.5 million people and Cádiz 109,950 people (INE population register, January 1, 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many kilometers is it from Madrid to Cádiz?
488 km (303 mi) in a straight line and 651 km (404 mi) by road on the fastest route (mostly on the A-5 and the A-66).
How long is the drive from Madrid to Cádiz?
About 7 hr 10 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 3 stops of 20 minutes, about 8 hr 10 min.
Where is the halfway point between Madrid and Cádiz?
In a straight line, near Villaralto (Córdoba). By road, 325 km from each city, in San Pedro de Mérida (Badajoz).
Which city is higher, Madrid or Cádiz?
Madrid, at 645 m (2,116 ft); Cádiz sits at 4 m (13 ft).
Which direction is Cádiz from Madrid?
Southwest: the straight line leaves Madrid on a bearing of 209° (0° is north and 90° is east).
Measure it yourself on the map
The same two cities, already set up in the tools: move the points, get the route by bike or on foot and download the map.
- Distance between two points Measure the distance between any two places or points on the map, in miles or kilometers.
- Straight line vs driving distance Compare the as-the-crow-flies distance with the real driving distance and see how much the road adds.
- Halfway point Find the exact halfway point between two places and see it on the map, ready to share.
More distances from Madrid
All distances- Madrid to Badajoz 329 km straight line · 402 km by road · 4 hr 25 min
- Madrid to León 288 km straight line · 338 km by road · 3 hr 50 min
- Madrid to Burgos 213 km straight line · 244 km by road · 2 hr 50 min
- Madrid to Pamplona 316 km straight line · 387 km by road · 4 hr 45 min
- Madrid to Lisbon 505 km straight line · 627 km by road · 6 hr 45 min
- Madrid to Porto 423 km straight line · 555 km by road · 6 hr 20 min
More distances from Cádiz
Sources
- Driving route: FOSSGIS OSRM, car profile (calculated on October 31, 2026) · FOSSGIS e.V.
- Roads, streets and places · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Straight line, bearings and midpoint (geodesics on the WGS84 ellipsoid) · GeographicLib (C. F. F. Karney)
- Location and elevation of Spanish cities (gazetteer and DEM) · Instituto Geográfico Nacional (CC BY 4.0)
- Population register, January 1, 2025 · INE (Spain)
- Places near the midpoints: Mapsfera gazetteer (GeoNames, INE, IGN and Census) · Mapsfera
- Time zones (timezone-boundary-builder outlines and the IANA database) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Map: provinces (IGN), states (US Census Bureau) and countries (Natural Earth) · IGN, Census and Natural Earth
- Methodology